Doing Time in Argentina

Doing Time in Argentina or/ o lo intenté con el Tiempo que Tuve, 2007

45 Slides juxtapose 60 drawings in various combinations. The slides were organised in pairs of two and projected on a wall.

The drawings research three of the country’s former prisons, and place these next to a number of observations I made and sayings I heard during my residency at El Basilisco.

Carcel de Caseros – Buenos Aires‘ oldest prison- and Olimpo – one of the numerous former clandestine prisons , have a few things in common; they are situated in residential neighborhoods and have been the subject of a movie. However, their history and meaning up to today differ largely. Ushuaia’s prison, ‚Fin del Mundo‘ unintentionally ridicules its turbulent history with its present function as tourist attraction.

El Basilisco no longer hosts residencies but has produced a comprehensive catalogue of its history and the participating artists. The catalogue is available for download here.